Bike rooms, like this one at Mississippi State University, are a great strategy to encourage more bicycling than driving on campus
There are ordinary bike rooms and then there are outstanding, spacious bike rooms.
You'll find the latter in the Old Main Academic Center on the campus of Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS.
The Park and Facilities Catalog recently supplied 24 "Horseshoe" metal bicycle parking racks to an indoor bike room designed by Belinda Stewart Architects.
The entire space promotes "cycling." On a large wall in the back of the bike room, there is a huge mural of yellow bike art with the words "Bicycle Parking" painted above them in large letters.
The horseshoe racks are neatly installed in seven rows, spaced wide apart to provide plenty of room for bicyclists to park their bikes.
What's great about the horseshoe rack is that the metal tube is 35 inches high. This makes it easy for a cyclist to lock their bicycle and gives them an effective way to use three points of locking contact.
Those three points - the frame, the bicycle parking rack and the front wheel, are recommended by the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals to secure a bicycle. A U-Lock is also preferred or a thick heavy chain with a sturdy padlock that can't be easily cut.
Tyson Langston with Sullivan Office Supply that ordered the metal bike racks, said, "These bike racks are great."
In addition, the company also installed five heavy-duty 9-Bike Wave Bike Racks and three 7-Bike Wave Bike Racks outside on the campus grounds.
Horseshoe bicycle parking racks offer sturdy and secure parking for students at MSU
Bike rooms encourage more bicycling on campus
"We are always pleased to be able to play a part in promoting bicycling on college campuses," said Adam Koonin, senior executive with The Park and Facilities Catalog. "And we are thrilled that our products were included in a project at such a prestigious university."
Mississippi State opened in 1878 and is a large university with more than 21,000 students.
It's a massive place with grounds that cover 4,200 acres, including numerous buildings, farms, pastures, and woodlands.
With much of its research centered on agriculture and engineering, Mississippi State's Plant Science Research Center includes 560 acres with 10 greenhouses and 40 other structures. It's Animal Research Center covers 1,650 acres with 52 structures.
The school is also the nation's lead university for the Federal Aviation Administration's Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
As part of its international research in agriculture and engineering, Mississippi State is tackling worldwide issues such as hunger and poverty. MSU works with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, among other organizations, to help alleviate starvation in developing countries.
All in all, some $226 million was spent in 2016 in MSU's research efforts, accounting for more than half spent by all institutions in the state.
MSU also is home to the Bulldogs with their mascot "Bully" - always contenders in the SEC and NCAA for football, basketball, and other sports.
Some of the university's famous alumni include Dak Prescott, quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, and John Grisham, popular author of several best-selling novels such as The Firm and The Pelican Brief.
Bicycling on campus contributes to gains in sustainability
Sustainability is a big initiative on college campuses across the county. Universities are constantly looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and promote green, pro-environmental strategies.
MSU has their own Office of Sustainability. According to their website, the office strives to create a "holistic campus."
"Not only is our focus on resource use and consumption, but on the overall campus environment. The goal is to develop an environmentally, socially, and economically responsible foundation that guides and tempers all campus development, teaching, research, outreach and operational activity."
The Office of Sustainability has four areas of concentration - Operations, Materials, Transportation, and Grounds.
According to MSU Sustainability Coordinator Christine Lashley, the bicycles are essential to campus life. Many students live in off-campus residences that are close enough that a car is not required, which would take up precious parking spaces and require a paid pass. On the other hand, some residences are too far away for students to walk.
In addition, whether in this southern state is ideal for cycling. And the landscape is relatively flat.
"We are providing more bicycle parking to encourage students to ride their bikes on campus," said Christine. "Bikes really are an effective way to get where you are going on our campus."
She said the school surveyed students recently and discovered they were interested in public bike repair stations. So several were added to the grounds.
With the addition of bike rooms and more outdoor bike racks, the MSU is certainly active in promoting bicycling on their grounds as an alternative form of transportation.